Are there any plain ol' chicken owners here?

[Chick_a_dee]

We're getting mixed breeds, 15 RIR X Columbian Rock..unfortunately we've discovered we really can't free range, as it turns out we may have a fisher problem, theres a dead animal in the barn that looks as if it may be a fisher. Perhaps free range when we can watch them, but otherwise not a chance.

 

[mamaboyd]

We have mixed breeds as well. I can't exactly say what our hens are mixed with as they are a hatchery special, but I do think they have buff orp in them. We have a "borrowed" roo who is barred rock, and our chicks that we have been hatching are a mix of the roo and our hens. Each chick has a different color not one is alike, which I think is quite neat!

Chick-a-dee: sorry to hear you are having fisher problems! We haven't had any around here and I'm hoping we don't get any either, they can be so nasty! Where are you getting your chickens from??

Trish

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
We've ordered from Frey's, for our first time around. Next year, we ARE ordering from Performance Poultry, we're going to be getting some Buff Orps, and RIR next year as well as some meatbirds. We're getting day olds, shipped to the Orono Co-op, since our old house in Bowmanville doesn't close until the end of July, it just so happened that Frey's had a delivery to the Orono Co-op the day before our closing, so we'll come out here, sign papers, bring them home, stick them in the brooder..so far our office is going to be home to Quesa and her litter of puppies, and a gigantic, 4x4x2 brooder...ohhh my.

I'm not sure if it is a fisher, mum thought it might be a wolverine..but what I could see (naturally it died in the ONLY unlit part of the barn!) it didn't have the markings of a wolverine, the feet were not like an opossums feet, and it was too large to be a weasel. Fisher seems to fit so far, but we'll know for sure once we go in with a flashlight. My guess is it took shelter in the hayloft, and went down through the opened door into the main barn... and possible ate some mouse poison.

 

[mamaboyd]

Wow! Bowmanville is only 20 mins from us! Would have liked to meet you! We got our chicks from Orono co-op last year, from Freys's. This year we decided to try our own mix with the the hens we got from Frey's last year and a rooster we borrowed from a friend just outside of Bowmanville.
Wishing you all the best in your move!
I didn't know that fishers were around this area, now I'm worried. Hope you find out exactly what it is that's in your barn, at least it's not living and didn't harm anything.

Just took a quick look at your website, noticed you advertised on trentriders... great site!! Found my first horse on there

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
Thank god it's not living, lol because I've been in there without the lights on! It's lying in a pile of old feed bags that the old owners left there. You'll probably see us at the Orono Co-op, we're there like every single day getting stuff for the farm. Just look out for the car, it's a wine coloured Ford Focus Station Wagon, that says Lupin Farm on the side of it. We should be in the horse and chicken section

Since you're in Kendal, you might have to watch out for escapees from Jungle Cat World, I remember a few years ago they had a lion escape.

 

[mamaboyd]

Well, now I have to worry about fishers and lions, lol!

I'll keep my eyes out for your car, I'm in the co-op at least once or twice a week for our chickens and horses too.

Maybe I'll be able to meet with you before you move to Stirling!

 

[Chick_a_dee]

It's a possibility! I'm hopefully going tomorrow, if not Saturday for sure... have to get things to make up my field kit, need a kit to take into the paddocks at the new place that has extras of halters, fly mask, etc.

We'll be back up in this area a lot though, my dad has an appartment in Toronto and I have to attend a semester of school in Bowmanville starting in September, plus we often meet puppy people rather than have everyone come out due to the gas, it's cheaper for us to come out, since gas up in Stirling is a good 5 or more cents cheaper than in the GTA.

 

[mamaboyd]

hmmm... what do I need at the co-op tomorrow, haha. Thinking of excuses to escape the house!! Maybe I'll see you tomorrow or Saturday! You know what, I think I have seen your car there before come to think of it. Just never occurred to me! I wouldn't be surprised that the gas is a wee bit cheaper in Stirling than it is around here. Ugh, and it's supposed be going down 3 cents tonight. I'll believe it when I see it!
Where about's in Bowmanville are you from, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Chick_a_dee]

We live at the moment, at least until Wednesday next week! Behind the old mall, with the A&P in it. Though, my family is originally from England, so we're moving from a fairly English town, to a fairly English/& Scottish town.

You likely have seen our car, we've been there solidly, almost every day for the last 2 months, and about 3 years ago we were there EVERY SINGLE DAY, I swear to you.. We have a horse, that had to be shipped out west because his heaves were acting up due to the weather here, he was boarded at a farm owned by one of the Metcalf family, down the road from Chance Stables... the one with the big green barn, and lots of white fencing, on Bloor.

Should be at the Co-op tomorrow with my younger brother, if not...then definitely Saturday.

 

[mamaboyd]

Well, at least you live in an area I kind of know. I know how to navigate around Bowmanville not too badly but outside of that, well, I get lost, lol.I do know the road that Chance stables is on...a bit.
Moving to an English/Scottish town are you!! We are Irish. I have friends that live in Stirling that there daughter has the same rare disease as what my son has. I'm sure you will see her in the news some day!
Well, I'd better get off to bed so I can be wide awake for these chicks that are hatching right now.Hopefully we will get to meet sometime over the next few days!